Display device and method for forming the same

ABSTRACT

A display device is provided. The display device includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, a plurality of light-emitting units disposed on the first surface of the substrate, and a plurality of conductive structures extending into the substrate from the second surface of the substrate. The plurality of conductive structures are electrically connected to the plurality of light-emitting units.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/698,777, filed on Sep. 8, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,720,415, whichclaims the priority of China Patent Application No. 201710414084.7 filedon Jun. 5, 2017, and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/415,542, filed on Nov. 1, 2016, the entirety of which areincorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND Technical Field

The disclosure relates to display devices, and in particular toborderless display devices.

Description of the Related Art

As digital technology develops, display devices are becoming more widelyused in our society. For example, display devices have been applied inmodern information and communication devices such as televisions,notebook computers, desktop computers, mobile phones (e.g.,smartphones). In addition, each generation of display devices has beendeveloped to be thinner, lighter, smaller, and more fashionable than theprevious generation. The display devices include light-emitting diodedisplay devices.

The recombination radiation of electron and hole in the light-emittingdiode may produce electromagnetic radiation (such as light) through thecurrent at the p-n junction. For example, in the forward bias p-njunction formed by direct band gap materials such as GaAs or GaN, therecombination of electron and hole injected into the depletion regionresults in electromagnetic radiation such as light. The aforementionedelectromagnetic radiation may lie in the visible region or thenon-visible region. Materials with different band gaps may be used toform light-emitting diodes of different colors.

Since mass production has become the tendency recently in thelight-emitting diode industry, any increase in the yield ofmanufacturing light-emitting diodes will reduce costs and result in hugeeconomic benefits. However, existing display devices have not beensatisfactory in every respect.

Therefore, a cost-effective display device is needed.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a display device. The displaydevice includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surfaceopposite to the first surface; a plurality of light-emitting unitsdisposed on the first surface of the substrate; and a plurality ofconductive structures extending into the substrate from the secondsurface of the substrate. The plurality of conductive structures areelectrically connected to the plurality of light-emitting units.

Some embodiments of the disclosure provide a method for forming adisplay device. The method includes providing a carrier with a pluralityof light-emitting units; coating a substrate material on the carriersuch that the substrate material surrounds the plurality oflight-emitting units; curing the substrate material to form a substrate;removing a portion of the substrate to expose the plurality oflight-emitting units; and disposing a driver unit on the substrate. Thedriver unit is electrically connected to the plurality of light-emittingunits.

A detailed description is given in the following embodiments withreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure may be more fully understood by reading the subsequentdetailed description and examples with references made to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1A illustrates a top view of a forming step of a display deviceaccording to Embodiment 1 of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 1B, 2A, 2B, and 3-10 are a series of cross-sectional viewsillustrating a method for forming a display device according toEmbodiment 1 of the present disclosure;

FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 12 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG. 13 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 14-16 are a series of cross-sectional views illustrating a methodfor forming a display device according to Embodiment 2 of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 17-24 are a series of cross-sectional views illustrating a methodfor forming a display device according to Embodiment 3 of the presentdisclosure;

FIGS. 25-28 are a series of cross-sectional views illustrating a methodfor forming a display device according to Embodiment 4 of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 29 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a display device accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The display device of the present disclosure is described in detail inthe following description. In the following detailed description, forpurposes of explanation, numerous specific details and embodiments areset forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the presentdisclosure. The specific elements and configurations described in thefollowing detailed description are set forth in order to clearlydescribe the present disclosure. It will be apparent, however, that theexemplary embodiments set forth herein are used merely for the purposeof illustration, and the inventive concept may be embodied in variousforms without being limited to those exemplary embodiments. In addition,the drawings of different embodiments may use like and/or correspondingnumerals to denote like and/or corresponding elements in order toclearly describe the present disclosure. However, the use of like and/orcorresponding numerals in the drawings of different embodiments does notsuggest any correlation between different embodiments. In addition, inthis specification, expressions such as “first material layer disposedon/over a second material layer”, may indicate the direct contact of thefirst material layer and the second material layer, or it may indicate anon-contact state with one or more intermediate layers between the firstmaterial layer and the second material layer. In the above situation,the first material layer may not be in direct contact with the secondmaterial layer.

This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read inconnection with the accompanying drawings, which are to be consideredpart of the entire written description. The drawings are not drawn toscale. The dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarilyincreased or reduced for clarity of discussion. In addition, structuresand devices are shown schematically in order to simplify the drawing.

In the description, relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,”“horizontal,” “vertical,”, “above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and“bottom” as well as derivative thereof (e.g., “horizontally,”“downwardly,” “upwardly,” etc.) should be construed to refer to theorientation as then described or as shown in the drawing underdiscussion. These relative terms are for convenience of description anddo not require that the apparatus be constructed or operated in aparticular orientation. Terms concerning attachments, coupling and thelike, such as “connected” and “interconnected,” refer to a relationshipwherein structures are secured or attached to one another eitherdirectly or indirectly through intervening structures, as well as bothmovable or rigid attachments or relationships, unless expresslydescribed otherwise.

In the display device of the present disclosure, the light-emittingunits and the driver unit (or other devices) are disposed on oppositesurfaces of the substrate, and the light-emitting units are electricallyconnected to the driver unit through the conductive structures. Comparedto display devices in which the light-emitting units and the driver unitare disposed on the same surface of the substrate, the display devicesof the present disclosure do not have to sacrifice the peripheral areaaround the light-emitting units for disposing the driver unit, and thusa borderless design can be achieved.

Embodiment 1

Embodiment 1 provides a method for forming a display device in which thelight-emitting units and the driver unit are disposed on oppositesurfaces of the substrate.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a forming step of the display device of thepresent embodiment, and FIG. 1A is the top view of the forming step.FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view along line A1-A2 in FIG. 1A.As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, a carrier 100 with a plurality oflight-emitting units 102 disposed thereon is provided. For example, thecarrier 100 includes a semiconductor wafer, a glass carrier, a ceramiccarrier, a plastic carrier, other applicable carriers, or a combinationthereof. For example, the light-emitting units 102 can be light-emittingdiodes, organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), other applicablelight-emitting units, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, thelight-emitting units 102 can be micro light-emitting diodes (microLEDs), and one or more arrays of which can be formed on the carrier 100.In some embodiments, the light-emitting units 102 can be formed on thecarrier 100 (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) by semiconductor processes. Inother embodiments, the light-emitting units 102 are bonded to thecarrier 100 through applicable bonding materials (e.g., opticaladhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive, other applicable bondingmaterials, or a combination thereof). As shown in FIG. 1B, conductivestructures 102 a can be disposed on the light-emitting units 102 toelectrically connect the light-emitting units 102 to various devices(e.g., driver) or units (e.g., outer lead bonding). In some embodimentsof which the light-emitting units 102 are light-emitting diodes, theconductive structures 102 a can be the leads of the light-emittingdiodes.

Then, as shown in FIG. 2A, a substrate material 104 is coated on thecarrier 100, such that the light-emitting units 102 and the conductivestructures 102 a are surrounded by the substrate material 104. Forexample, the substrate material 104 can include a precursor of polymer(e.g., a precursor of polyimide), glass, other applicable materials, ora combination thereof. In some embodiments, if needed, the substratematerial 104 can be heated to an applicable temperature (e.g., greaterthan or equal to the glass transition temperature of the glass) toincrease the flowability thereof, and then be coated on the carrier 100.It should be noted that although the top surface of the substratematerial 104 is higher than the top surface of the conductive structures102 a in FIG. 2A, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Forexample, the top surface of the substrate material 104 can also be lowerthan or level with the top surface of the conductive structures 102 a.In some embodiments, the substrate material 104 can be coated on thecarrier 100 using spin-on coating or other applicable methods at anapplicable temperature (e.g., 25-100° C.). In other embodiments, asshown in FIG. 2B, the substrate material 104 can be disposed on anothercarrier or tank 106 in advance, and then the carrier 100 and thelight-emitting units 102 are flipped and moved toward the substratematerial 104 until the substrate material 104 surrounds thelight-emitting units 102 and the conductive structures 102 a andcontacts the carrier 100.

Then, as shown in FIG. 3, a curing process can be performed to cure thesubstrate material 104, such that a substrate 108 is formed. In someembodiments, the substrate 108 can include polymer (e.g., polyimide),glass, other applicable materials, or a combination thereof. Forexample, in the embodiments of which the substrate material 104 is aprecursor of polymer, the curing process can include thermal curingprocess (e.g., heating the substrate material 104 to a temperature of100-500° C. and lasting for several seconds to several hours), UV-lightcuring process (e.g., exposing the substrate material 104 to UV-lightfor several seconds to several hours), other applicable curingprocesses, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments of which thesubstrate material 104 is glass, the substrate material 104 can be curedto form the substrate 108 by cooling the substrate material 104 to anapplicable temperature (e.g., a temperature lower than the glasstransition temperature of the substrate material 104).

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, a removal process can be performed to remove aportion of the substrate 108 and expose the conductive structures 102 a.For example, the removal process can include a polishing process, achemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, an etching process, otherapplicable processes, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, theremoval process also removes a portion of the conductive structures 102a. In some embodiments, the removal process results in a substantiallyplanar surface of the substrate 108. As shown in FIG. 4, a top surfaceof the substrate 108 and a top surface of the conductive structures 102a can be substantially coplanar after the removal process.

Then, as shown in FIG. 5, a patterned conductive layer 110 is formed onthe light-emitting units 102, the conductive structures 102 a, and thesubstrate 108. The patterned conductive layer 110 can be used toelectrically connect the light-emitting units 102 to a driver unit whichwill subsequently be formed. For example, the patterned conductive layer110 can include but are not limited to one or more conductive lines, oneor more metal pads, or a combination thereof. The material of thepatterned conductive layer 110 can include a metal (e.g., Cu, W, Ag, Sn,Ni, Cr, Ti, Pb, Au, Bi, Sb, Zn, Zr, Mg, In, Te, Ga, other applicablemetals, an alloy thereof, or a combination thereof), other applicableconductive materials, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, aconductive layer (not patterned) can be formed on the light-emittingunits 102, the conductive structures 102 a, and the substrate 108 by aphysical vapor deposition method (e.g., evaporation, or sputter), anelectroplating method, an atomic layer deposition method, otherapplicable methods, or a combination thereof, and then the patternedconductive layer 110 is formed using a lithography process (e.g.,coating the resist, developing, removing the resist, other applicableprocesses, or a combination thereof), etching process, other applicableprocesses, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, a patternedmask layer (not shown) having trenches corresponding to the patternedconductive layer 110 can be formed in advance on the light-emittingunits 102, the conductive structures 102 a, and the substrate 108, andthen the patterned conductive layer 110 is formed by filling thetrenches with applicable conductive materials and removing the patternedmask layer.

In some embodiments, the patterned conductive layer 110 can be replacedwith a layer including a thin-film transistor (TFT) array.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6, a protection layer 112 can be formed on thepatterned conductive layer 110 to protect the patterned conductive layer110 from being damaged in subsequent processes. For example, theprotection layer 112 can include a polymer (e.g., polyimide), otherapplicable insulating materials, or a combination thereof. In someembodiments, the protection layer 112 can be formed by spin-on coating,rolling, vacuum lamination, chemical vapor deposition (CVD),plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), other applicablemethods, or a combination thereof.

Then, as shown in FIG. 7, an opening 114 is formed in the protectionlayer 112.

The opening 114 will be filled with an applicable conductive material tobond the driver unit and the patterned conductive layer 110 in asubsequent process. In some embodiments, the opening 114 can be formedin the protection layer 112 using a lithography process and/or anetching process. It should be noted that although, as an example, thereis one opening 114 in the present embodiment, the disclosure is notlimited thereto. Two or more openings 114 can be formed if needed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 8, the opening 114 is filled with a conductivematerial 116. The conductive material 116 can be used to connect thedriver and the patterned conductive layer 110 in a subsequent process.For example, the conductive material 116 can include metal alloy, solderpaste, silver glue, other applicable conductive materials, or acombination thereof. In the present embodiment, the conductive material116 is an anisotropic conductive film/paste (ACF or ACP) which caninclude a plurality of conductive particles 118 (e.g., metal particles).Under appropriate conditions, the electric current can only flow throughthe conductive material 116 in a direction substantially perpendicularto a top surface of the patterned conductive layer 110, and thus thedevice performance can be improved, and the details will be discussed inthe following.

Then, as shown in FIG. 9, a driver unit 120 is disposed on theconductive material 116, such that the driver unit 120 is electricallyconnected to the light-emitting units 102 through the conductivematerial 116, the patterned conductive layer 110, and the conductivestructures 102 a. In some embodiments of which the conductive material116 is an anisotropic conductive film, the conductive material 116 canbe heated to an applicable temperature (e.g., 100-250° C.), and anapplicable pressure (e.g., 0.1-10 MPa) can be applied, such that thedriver unit 120 can be bonded to the patterned conductive layer 110through the conductive material 116, and the electric current can onlyflow through the conductive material 116 in a direction substantiallyperpendicular to the top surface of the patterned conductive layer 110.For example, the driver unit 120 can include a driver chip, a circuitboard, other applicable units, or a combination thereof. The driver unit120 can be used to control the voltage and current for thelight-emitting units 102. It should be noted that the example given inthe present embodiment has light-emitting units 102 electricallyconnected to the driver unit 120, the present disclosure is not limitedthereto. The light-emitting units 102 can be electrically connected toother types of devices or units if needed. In addition, although onlyone driver unit is illustrated in FIG. 9, the disclosure is not limitedthereto. Two or more driver units can be disposed in the display deviceif needed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the carrier 100 is removed to form thedisplay device 10 of the present embodiment. In some embodiments ofwhich light-emitting units 102 are formed on the carrier 100 bysemiconductor processes, the carrier 100 can be a semiconductor wafer,and thus the carrier 100 can be removed by polishing, etching, otherapplicable methods, or a combination thereof. In other embodiments, thelight-emitting units 102 are bonded to the carrier 100 through anoptical adhesive (e.g., UV-light adhesive), and thus a heating processcan be used to reduce the adhesiveness of the optical adhesive, suchthat the carrier 100 can be peeled off.

As shown in FIG. 10, the substrate 108 of the display device 10 has afirst surface 108 a and a second surface 108 b opposite to the firstsurface 108 a. The light-emitting units 102 are disposed on the firstsurface 108 a, and the driver unit 120 is disposed on the second surface108 b. The conductive structures 102 a extend from the second surface108 b of the substrate 108 into the substrate 108, and can be used toelectrically connect the light-emitting units 102 and the driver unit120 on opposite surfaces of the substrate 108. Compared to displaydevices of which the light-emitting units and the driver unit are on thesame surface of the substrate, the light-emitting units and the driverunit of the display device 10 of the present disclosure are on oppositesurfaces of the substrate, and thus the peripheral area around thelight-emitting units does not have to be sacrificed to dispose the driveunit r, and a borderless design can be achieved.

Referring to FIG. 11, a connection structure 122 can be further disposedafter the step of disposing the driver unit 120. The connectionstructure 122 can be used to connect the display device 10 to otherdisplay devices. For example, many display devices 10 are connectedtogether through the connection structure(s) 122 to form a large-sizeddisplay device. For example, the connection structure 122 can includemeal (e.g., metal line), metal alloy, or other applicable conductivematerials. Is should be noted that when multiple display devices areconnected together to form a large-sized display device, if the driverunit 120 and the light-emitting units 102 are disposed on the samesurface of the substrate 108, the driver unit 120 will be disposed in aregion between the display devices, and thus the visual effect of thelarge-sized display device may be poor. To the contrary, since theconductive structures are used to electrically connect the driver unitand the light-emitting units on opposite surfaces of the substrate inthe embodiments of the present disclosure, when multiple display devicesare connected together to form a large-sized display device, the driverunit 120 will not be disposed between the display devices, and thus thevisual effect of the large-sized display device can be improved.

Referring to FIG. 12, a variation of Embodiment 1 is illustrated. Onedifference between the display device 10′ of the variation of Embodiment1 and the display device 10 of Embodiment 1 is that the substrate 108 ofthe display device 10′ includes a light-shielding region 108 s and anon-light-shielding region 108 t, and thus the display effect can beimproved. For example, the light-shielding region 108 s can includeblack resist, black printing ink, black resin, or any otherlight-shielding material of applicable colors. In some embodiments,light-shielding additives (e.g., carbon powders) can be added into thesubstrate material (e.g., precursor of polyimide, glass, otherapplicable materials, or a combination thereof) discussed above to formthe light-shielding region 108 s to shield the light. For example, thelight-shielding region 108 s including the light-shielding additives canbe formed on the carrier 100 after the step illustrated in FIG. 1B, andthen the non-light-shielding region 108 t without the light-shieldingadditives can be formed on the light-shielding region 108 s by thesubsequent processes.

Referring to FIG. 13, another variation of Embodiment 1 is illustrated.One difference between the display device 10″ of the variation ofEmbodiment 1 and the display device 10 of Embodiment 1 is that thesubstrate 108 of the display device 10″ is made of the substratematerial including the light-shielding additives discussed above. Insome embodiments, in the step illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B, the substratematerial including the light-shielding additives can be directly coatedon the carrier 100, and thus an additional process is not needed to formthe light-shielding region of the substrate, and therefore theproduction cost can be reduced.

Embodiment 2

The present embodiment provides another method for forming a displaydevice. One difference between Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 is that theconductive structures of Embodiment 2 are formed in the substrate inadvance.

First, as shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of conductive structures 206(e.g., vias) are formed in a substrate 200, and a patterned conductivelayer 208 is formed on the conductive structures 206. For example, thesubstrate 200 can include substrates which are the same as, or similarto, the substrate 108 of Embodiment 1. In some embodiments, a pluralityof through holes penetrating through the substrate 200 can be formed bymechanical drilling, laser drilling, lithography process, etchingprocess, other applicable methods, or a combination thereof. Then, aphysical vapor deposition process (e.g., evaporation, or sputter), anelectroplating process, an atomic layer deposition process, otherapplicable processes, or a combination thereof can be performed todeposit Cu, W, Ag, Sn, Ni, Cr, Ti, Pb, Au, Bi, Sb, Zn, Zr, Mg, In, Te,Ga, an alloy thereof, other applicable conductive materials, or acombination thereof to form the conductive structures 206 (e.g., vias)in the through holes and a blanket conductive layer (not shown) on thesubstrate 200. Then, a lithography process, an etching process, otherapplicable processes, or a combination thereof can be performed topattern the blanket conductive layer to form the patterned conductivelayer 208. In other embodiments, after the through holes penetratingthrough the substrate 200 are formed, a patterned mask layer (not shown)having trenches corresponding to the patterned conductive layer 208 canbe formed on the substrate 200 in advance, and then the conductivestructures 206 and the patterned conductive layer 208 are formed byfilling the through holes and the trenches with applicable conductivematerials and removing the patterned mask layer. For example, thepatterned conductive layer 208 can include but are not limited to one ormore conductive lines, one or more metal pads, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the patterned conductive layer 208 can be replacedwith a layer including a thin-film transistor (TFT) array.

Then, still referring to FIG. 14, a protection layer 210 can be formedon the patterned conductive layer 208, and an opening 212 can be formedin the protection layer 210. For example, the protection layer 210 caninclude protection layers which are the same as, or similar to, theprotection layer 112 discussed above.

Then, as shown in FIG. 15, light-emitting units 202 can be bonded to thesubstrate 200 through a conductive material 204. For example, thelight-emitting units 202 can include light-emitting units which are thesame as, or similar to, the light-emitting units 102 of Embodiment 1.For example, the conductive material 204 can include conductivematerials which are the same as, or similar to, the conductive material116 (e.g., anisotropic conductive film) of Embodiment 1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the opening 212 is filled with a conductivematerial 214, and a driver unit 216 is bonded to the patternedconductive layer 208 through the conductive material 214 to form thedisplay device 20 of the present embodiment. For example, the conductivematerial 214 can include conductive materials which are the same as, orsimilar to, the conductive material 116 discussed above, and the driverunit 216 can include devices which are the same as, or similar to, thedriver unit 120 discussed above.

As shown in FIG. 16, the substrate 200 of the display device 20 has afirst surface 200 a and a second surface 200 b opposite to the firstsurface 200 a. The light-emitting units 202 are disposed on the firstsurface 200 a of the substrate 200, and the driver unit 216 is disposedon the second surface 200 b of the substrate 200. The conductivestructures 206 extend from the second surface 200 b of the substrate 200into the substrate 200, and can be used to electrically connect thelight-emitting units 202 and the driver unit 216 on opposite surfaces ofthe substrate 200. Similar to the display device 10 of Embodiment 1, thedriver unit and the light-emitting units of the display device 20 of thepresent embodiment are also respectively disposed on opposite surfacesof the substrate, and thus a borderless design can be achieved.

It should be noted that the display device of the present embodiment canalso include the same or a similar connection structure as illustratedin FIG. 11 and the same or a similar light-shielding region asillustrated in FIG. 12-13, and thus the same or similar advantages canbe obtained.

Embodiment 3

The present embodiment provides yet another method for forming a displaydevice. One difference between Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 3 is that theconductive structures of Embodiment 3 are formed after the formation ofthe substrate.

FIG. 17 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the process for thedisplay device of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 17, a carrier300 with a plurality of light-emitting units 302 disposed thereon isprovided. For example, the carrier 300 can include carriers that are thesame as, or similar to, the carrier 100 of Embodiment 1, and thelight-emitting units 302 can include light-emitting units that are thesame as, or similar to, the light-emitting units 102 of Embodiment 1.For example, the carrier 300 can be a semiconductor wafer, and thelight-emitting units 302 can be directly formed on the carrier 300through applicable semiconductor processes.

Then, as shown in FIG. 18, an adhesive layer 304 is coated on thelight-emitting units 302. In some embodiments, the adhesive layer 304can include optical adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive, otherapplicable adhesives, or a combination thereof. For example, the carrier300 and the light-emitting units 302 can be flipped, and then a portionof the light-emitting units 302 is immersed in the adhesive layer 304which may be disposed on another carrier or in a tank, such that theadhesive layer 304 is coated on the light-emitting units 302.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19, the light-emitting units 302 are bonded toanother carrier 306 through the adhesive layer 304, and then the carrier300 is removed. For example, the carrier 300 can be removed bypolishing, etching, other applicable methods, or a combination thereof.

Then, as shown in FIG. 20, a substrate material is coated on theadhesive layer 304 to surround the light-emitting units 302, and then acuring process can be performed to cure the substrate material to form asubstrate 308. For example, the substrate material of the presentembodiment can include substrate materials that are the same as, orsimilar to, the substrate material 104 of Embodiment 1, and thesubstrate 308 can include substrates that are the same as, or similarto, the substrate 108 of Embodiment 1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 21, a portion of the substrate 308 is removed toform a plurality of openings 310, such that a portion of thelight-emitting units 302 is exposed from the openings 310. For example,the openings 310 can be formed in the substrate 308 using lithographyprocess, etching process, mechanical drilling, laser drilling, otherapplicable processes, or a combination thereof.

Then, as shown in FIG. 22, a plurality of conductive structures 312(e.g., vias) are formed in the openings 310, and a patterned conductivelayer 314 is formed on the conductive structures 312. In someembodiments, a physical vapor deposition process (e.g., evaporation, orsputter), an electroplating process, an atomic layer deposition process,other applicable processes, or a combination thereof can be performed todeposit Cu, W, Ag, Sn, Ni, Cr, Ti, Pb, Au, Bi, Sb, Zn, Zr, Mg, In, Te,Ga, an alloy thereof, other applicable conductive materials, or acombination thereof to form the conductive structures 312 in theopenings 310 and a blanket conductive layer (not shown) on the substrate308. Then, a lithography process, an etching process, a chemicalmechanical polishing process, other applicable methods, or a combinationthereof can be performed to pattern the blanket conductive layer to formthe patterned conductive layer 314. In other embodiments, a patternedmask layer (not shown) having trenches corresponding to the patternedconductive layer 314 can be formed on the substrate 308 in advance, andthen the conductive structures 312 and the patterned conductive layer314 are formed by filling the openings 310 and the trenches withapplicable conductive materials and removing the patterned mask layer.For example, the patterned conductive layer 314 can include but are notlimited to one or more conductive lines, one or more metal pads, or acombination thereof.

In some embodiments, the patterned conductive layer 314 can be replacedwith a layer that includes a thin-film transistor (TFT) array.

Then, as shown in FIG. 23, a protection layer 316 can be formed on thepatterned conductive layer 314, and an opening 318 can be formed in theprotection layer 316. Then, the opening 318 is filled with a conductivematerial 320, and a driver unit 322 is bonded to the patternedconductive layer 314 through the conductive material 320. For example,the protection layer 316 can include materials that are the same as, orsimilar to, the protection layer 112 discussed above, the conductivematerial 320 can include materials that are the same as, or similar to,the conductive material 116 discussed above, and the driver unit 322 caninclude devices that are the same as, or similar to, the driver unit 120discussed above.

Then, as shown in FIG. 24, the carrier 300 and the adhesive layer 304are removed to form the display device 30 of the present embodiment. Asshown in FIG. 24, the substrate 308 of display device 30 has a firstsurface 308 a and a second surface 308 b opposite to the first surface308 a. The light-emitting units 302 are disposed on the first surface308 a of the substrate 308, and the driver unit 322 is disposed on thesecond surface 308 b of the substrate 308. As shown in FIG. 24, theconductive structures 312 extend from the second surface 308 b of thesubstrate 308 into the substrate 308, and can be used to electricallyconnect the light-emitting units 302 and the driver unit 322 on oppositesurfaces of the substrate 308. Similar to the display device 10 ofEmbodiment 1, the driver unit and the light-emitting units of thedisplay device 30 of the present embodiment are also respectivelydisposed on opposite surfaces of the substrate, and thus a borderlessdesign can be achieved.

It should be noted that the display device of the present embodiment canalso include the same or a similar connection structure as illustratedin FIG. 11 and the same or a similar light-shielding region asillustrated in FIG. 12-13, and thus the same or similar advantages canbe obtained.

Embodiment 4

The present embodiment provides yet another method for forming a displaydevice. The display device includes a layer containing one or morethin-film transistors.

FIG. 25 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the process for thedisplay device of the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 25, asubstrate 400 is provided. The substrate 400 can include substrates thatare the same as, or similar to, the substrate 108 of Embodiment 1.

Then, as shown in FIG. 25, a plurality of conductive structures 406(e.g., vias) are formed in the substrate 400, and a patterned conductivelayer 408 is formed on the conductive structures 406. In someembodiments, a plurality of through holes penetrating through thesubstrate 400 can be formed by mechanical drilling, laser drilling, alithography process, an etching process, other applicable methods, or acombination thereof. Then, a physical vapor deposition process (e.g.,evaporation, or sputter), an electroplating process, an atomic layerdeposition process, other applicable processes, or a combination thereofcan be performed to deposit Cu, W, Ag, Sn, Ni, Cr, Ti, Pb, Au, Bi, Sb,Zn, Zr, Mg, In, Te, Ga, an alloy thereof, other applicable conductivematerials, or a combination thereof to form the conductive structures406 (e.g., vias) in the through holes and a blanket conductive layer(not shown) on the substrate 400. Then, a lithography process, anetching process, other applicable processes, or a combination thereofcan be performed to pattern the blanket conductive layer to form thepatterned conductive layer 408. In other embodiments, after the throughholes penetrating through the substrate 400 are formed, a patterned masklayer (not shown) having trenches corresponding to the patternedconductive layer 408 can be formed on the substrate 400 in advance, andthen the conductive structures 406 and the patterned conductive layer408 are formed by filling the through holes and the trenches withapplicable conductive materials and removing the patterned mask layer.For example, the patterned conductive layer 408 can include but are notlimited to one or more conductive lines, one or more metal pads, or acombination thereof.

Still referring to FIG. 25, a protection layer 410 is formed on thepatterned conductive layer 408, and an opening 412 can be formed in theprotection layer 410. For example, the protection layer 410 can includeprotection layers that are the same as, or similar to, the protectionlayer 112 discussed above.

Then, as shown in FIG. 26, a layer 414 including a thin-film transistorarray is formed on a surface of the substrate 400 opposite to thepatterned conductive layer 408. For example, the transistors can includegates, gate dielectric layers, and sources/drains, and one or moreinterlayer dielectric (ILD) layers can be disposed on the transistors.In some embodiments, the transistors can be used to control the voltageand current for the light-emitting units.

Then, as shown in FIG. 27, a plurality of light-emitting units 416 areformed on the layer 414 including a thin-film transistor array. Forexample, the light-emitting units 416 can include units that are thesame as, or similar to, the light-emitting units 102 of Embodiment 1. Insome embodiments, the light-emitting units 416 can be formed byevaporation (e.g., evaporation of an organic material), sputtering,other applicable methods, or a combination thereof.

Then, as shown in FIG. 28, the opening 412 is filled with a conductivematerial 418, and the driver unit 420 is bonded to the patternedconductive layer 408 through the conductive material 418 to form thedisplay device 40 of the present embodiment. For example, the conductivematerial 418 can include materials that are the same as, or similar to,the conductive material 116 discussed above, and the driver unit 420 caninclude devices that are the same as, or similar to, the driver unit 120discussed above.

As shown in FIG. 28, the substrate 400 of display device 40 has a firstsurface 400 a and a second surface 400 b opposite to the first surface400 a. The light-emitting units 416 are disposed on the first surface400 a of the substrate 400, and the driver unit 420 is disposed on thesecond surface 400 b of the substrate 400. As shown in FIG. 24, theconductive structures 406 extend from the second surface 400 b of thesubstrate 400 into the substrate 400, and can be used to electricallyconnect the light-emitting units 416 and the driver unit 420 on oppositesurfaces of the substrate 400. Similar to the display device 10 ofEmbodiment 1, the driver unit and the light-emitting units of thedisplay device 40 of the present embodiment are also respectivelydisposed on opposite surfaces of the substrate, and thus a borderlessdesign can be achieved.

It should be noted that the display device of the present embodiment canalso include the same or a similar connection structure as illustratedin FIG. 11 and the same or a similar light-shielding region asillustrated in FIG. 12-13, and thus the same or similar advantages canbe obtained. For example, a connection structure 422 can be bonded tothe display device 40 through the patterned conductive layer 408. Theconnection structure(s) 422 can be used to connect two or more displaydevices 40 together to form a large-sized display device 40′ (as shownin FIG. 29).

In summary, the display device of the present disclosure includeslight-emitting units (e.g., light-emitting diodes, organiclight-emitting diodes, other applicable light-emitting units, or acombination thereof) disposed on the first surface of the substrate, adriver unit (or other units) disposed on the second surface of thesubstrate opposite to the first surface of the substrate, and conductivestructures used to electrically connect the light-emitting units and thedriver unit. Therefore, the display device of the present disclosuredoes not have to sacrifice the peripheral area around the light-emittingunits for disposing the driver unit, and thus a borderless design can beachieved.

Although some embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantageshave been described in detail, it should be understood that variouschanges, substitutions and alterations can be made herein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by theappended claims. For example, it will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art that many of the features, functions, processes, andmaterials described herein may be varied while remaining within thescope of the present disclosure. Moreover, the scope of the presentapplication is not intended to be limited to the particular embodimentsof the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means,methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinaryskill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of thepresent disclosure, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions ofmatter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to bedeveloped, that perform substantially the same function or achievesubstantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments describedherein may be utilized according to the present disclosure. Accordingly,the appended claims are intended to include within their scope suchprocesses, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means,methods, or steps. In addition, each claim can be an individualembodiment of the present disclosure, and the scope of the presentdisclosure includes the combinations of every claim and every embodimentof the present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for forming a display device,comprising: providing a carrier with a plurality of light-emittingunits; coating a substrate material on the carrier such that thesubstrate material surrounds the plurality of light-emitting units;curing the substrate material to form a substrate; removing a portion ofthe substrate to expose the plurality of light-emitting units; disposinga driver unit on the substrate, wherein the driver unit is electricallyconnected to the plurality of light-emitting units; forming a patternedconductive layer on the substrate before the step of disposing thedriver unit on the substrate, wherein the patterned conductive layer iselectrically connected to the plurality of light-emitting units; beforethe step of disposing the driver unit and after the step of forming thepatterned conductive layer, further comprising: forming a protectionlayer on the patterned conductive layer; and forming an opening in theprotection layer, wherein the opening exposes a portion of the patternedconductive layer; and removing the carrier from the substrate, whereinthe step of removing the carrier from the substrate is performed afterthe step of curing the substrate material.
 2. The method as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the substrate material comprises a precursor ofpolyimide.
 3. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substratematerial comprises glass, and the step of coating the substrate materialcomprises heating the glass to a temperature higher than the glasstransition temperature of the glass.
 4. The method as claimed in claim1, wherein the step of removing the portion of the substrate isperformed by a polishing process, a chemical mechanical polishingprocess, a lithography process, an etching process, or combinationsthereof.
 5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality oflight-emitting units comprises a plurality of conductive structures, andthe plurality of conductive structures are exposed from the substrate bythe step of removing the portion of the substrate.
 6. The method asclaimed in claim 1, further comprising: filling the opening with ananisotropic conductive film, wherein the driver unit is electricallyconnected to the patterned conductive layer through the anisotropicconductive film.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein aplurality of openings exposing the plurality of light-emitting units areformed in the substrate by the step of removing the portion of thesubstrate.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7, before the step ofdisposing the driver unit, further comprising: forming a plurality ofconductive structures in the plurality of openings; and forming thepatterned conductive layer on the plurality of conductive structures,wherein the patterned conductive layer is electrically connected to theplurality of light-emitting units through the plurality of conductivestructures.